#401 At the foundry: Patina, the power of color, con't . . .

Please start this series about patina with post #391, Feb. 13

The use of patina and the colors of bronze has a profound effect on the sculpture's final appearance 

and the impression it makes on the viewer . . . color is more powerful than form.  

I routinely use color to suggest the natural color inherent to a species, such as the North American Mountain Lion,
also know as the Cougar.  The chemical, ferric nitrate, produces a golden tone, which is a logical choice for the mammal's distinctive yellow-gold coat.

Below, is a new work entitled Striding Cougar:
The top two pictures show my final choice of a ferric nitrate patina for the sculpture.
The bottom two pictures show an experiment with a darker patina using liver of sulfur, cupric nitrate,
and a hint of ferric nitrate.  Although the second patina has merit, I decided to repatina the work,
suggest the natural color of the animal and use the golden ferric nitrate chemicals.  In my opinion,
the darker patina imparted a "jaguar or panther look" to the sculpture.